Thundamentals – So We Can Remember

Progressive, innovative, cohesive, definitive, informative, expansive … all these words fit the new album by Thundamentals. Add experimental, honest and evocative and you’ve got more than enough reasons to take time out to vibe on So We Can Remember.

May 3 marked the anticipated release of So We Can Remember (out now on Obese Records) from Australian hip hop outfit Thundamentals. With the lead single ‘Smiles Don’t Lie‘ debuting at #5 on the iTunes hip hop charts and coming in at #32 on the Triple J Hottest 100 Countdown of 2013 (bagging the highest position for a local hip hop act at the same time), success was always on the cards for this trio.

And it doesn’t stop there… dreamy pop-infused number ‘Something I Said (ft Thom Crawford)‘ is poised to generate as much, if not more, chart success than the lead single. The track has already grabbed #1 as the Most Viral Track on Spotify, as well as being the #2 Most Played Track on Triple J. It’s not hard to see why the group are generating such quick success – Thundamentals seem to have perfected the formula to creating an upbeat party song whilst still maintaining a raw essence of hip hop through personal experience.

Aside from their phenomenal chart success with single releases of more party/pop-oriented tracks, So We Can Remember also delves into the grittier side of Aussie hip hop, with some exceptional production courtesy of resident beat-mapper DJ Morgs. Standout in regards to production is the track ‘Much About Much’, which you can buy off iTunes here…

Both MCs credit their partner in prime sounds DJ Morgs for embracing a wider outlook. “When Morgs delivered these beats, I was thrilled,” says Jeswon. “I feel like hip-hop is having another renaissance. There’s a new wave of artists and a new attitude towards beats. As an MC, you want to be working on beats that feel innovative, because that brings out the best in you as a lyricist.”

All in all, So We Can Remember is a catchy, melodic mix of pop/R&B-flavoured tracks and fun, party-oriented rhymes that make one reminisce to the good old days of summers past. It’s also great to see some hip hop invading the Australian mainstream charts again, so show your support and grab your copy of So We Can Remember, which is out on Obese Records now.

UPCOMING SHOWS:

Thu 1 May @ The Corner Hotel, Melbourne VIC – SOLD OUT!

Fri 2 May @ The Corner Hotel, Melbourne VIC – SOLD OUT! 

Saturday 3 May @ Bendigo VIC – SOLD OUT! – GTM

Sunday 4 May @ Townsville NSW – GTM

Thu 8 May @ Flyrite, Perth WA – SOLD OUT!

Fri 9 May @ Mojo’s Fremantle WA – SOLD OUT!

Saturday 10 May @ Bunbury WA – GTM

Fri 16 May @ The Zoo, Brisbane QLD – SOLD OUT!

Sat 24 May @ The Metro Theatre, Sydney NSW – SOLD OUT!

Advertisement

Crate diggin: George Benson – This Masquerade (Leon Russell cover)

It’s throwback Thursday… or Saturday… either way, it’s definitely the right idea to pump up your speakers, pour yourself a drink and chuck on George Benson‘s cover of ‘This Masquerade‘. You will be transported back to 1976 with the sexy, slowed-down vibe and Benson’s smooth soprano voice. Benson was not well known for his vocals, but ‘This Masquerade’ was an early occurrence of that sultry voice – and what better way to showcase it but by operating in unison with the muted tones of the jazz guitar melody. The song then eventually settles into a slow, funky groove with Al Green-esque ballad style vocals lamenting about some unrequited love. It is not hard to see how ‘This Masquerade’ catapulted Benson and his 1976 album Breezin‘ into the stratosphere of the easy listening / R&B pop charts of the 1970s. It also set the mark for many more vocal/guitar hit releases from Benson, such as ‘Give Me The Night‘ and ‘Turn Your Love Around‘.

There’s something special about Benson’s style on this song. Arguably, it’s ‘easy’ for easy listening / ballad R&B songs to blend together (think Billy Ocean…) and it often becomes impossible to separate individuality from the heavily-populated library of overly cheesy, generic “soul” ballad music. But here lies an exception. So much soul is invested into the construction of the melody and harmony that it is difficult not to want to get up and dance around to George Benson. So disregard your innate aversion to cheesy 70s ballads and give ‘This Masquerade’ a listen…

Album preview review: Slakah The Beatchild – Soul Movement vol. 2

Canadian soul/rhythm and blues producer Slakah The Beatchild is making us wait a little longer for the long-awaited Soul Movement vol. 2, which is now due to be released in January 2014. Thankfully the good man has released five tantalising bonus tracks available for free download off the beatchild bandcamp page, which you can find here.

This is an exciting taster – all five tracks showcase Beatchild’s extraordinary ability to blend elements of different genres seamlessly, whilst still maintaining a signature sound as a producer. Take I Surrender, for example – this sweet, soulful ballad sails over sparkly acoustic guitar and silky vocal harmonies. His sound is reminiscent of neo-soul legends such as Dwele and Bilal, but there is an unequivocal folk/ballad softness to counteract the RnB flavour. Getting In The Way is by far the most distinctive RnB track, with its 808 drums and and funky fretless bass. With a smooth, sexy groove and lots of dominant seventh chords (responsible for that sexy tension), Afrocentric ad lib vocal improvisations coalesce to produce a very Dwele-esque track.

I was really impressed by what I heard in these five bonus tracks. RnB producers are a dime a dozen these days, but artists that can create and maintain a unique sound are few and far between and I think Slakah The Beatchild falls neatly into this category. My only criticism is that the vocals on these five tracks sound very similar, with the focus being directly on high-end harmonies (especially on Plunderland), to the point that the lower register harmonies tend to be neglected. Soul Movement vol. 2 is released January 6 2014 but you can preorder your signed 12″ copy of the album here.

Related articles

• The Slakalediqs – 2nd Most (New Single) (justablog.co.uk)
• Junia-T (@JuniaTofSB) ‘You & I’ (allunsigned.wordpress.com)

Album review: John Legend – Love In The Future

On August 30 this year, R&B/soul singer-songwriter John Legend dropped his latest LP Love In The Future. The album is reportedly a collection of autobiographical love songs written in the wake of Legend’s recent marriage to Sports Illustrated model Chrissy Teigen. I think the “love” theme certainly comes out on this album. Perhaps a little too much… I’ve always had mixed feelings about Legend. I love certain collaborations (such as with Kanye West, Jay-Z, Malik Yusef, Alicia Keys) where his voice just seems to shine and hold its own place in the music, but when I listen to his solo records none of that uniqueness is present. Although produced by Yeezy himself, Love In The Future gives me the same feeling – even after several listenings I feel nothing, if not slightly sick of over-used conventional chord progressions. The songs on Love In The Future have too much of a pop rock sound and feel way too over-produced, which dampens the rawness and imperfection that I associate with good R&B and soul.

If I had to choose a standout track I’d pick ‘Who Do We Think We Are’ (ft Rick Ross). Rick Ross provides a little interest to an otherwise uninspiring repetitive soul hook and too much auto-tune with his verse (rife with social commentary about the idea of excess within the hip hop game). I feel like Kanye is relying on his old trick of sampling a bar or two of a classic soul track and expecting Legend’s voice to take the song somewhere, which definitely isn’t happening. With 16 tracks squashed into this hour-long album, I think Legend could have written four tracks and achieved the same effect on Love In The Future.

To sum up, I was not overly impressed with this album. Maybe Legend should leave the neo-soul thing to the masters and go live on an island with his bikini model wife.

Related articles

• Tenor Tunes // Album review – John Legend ‘Love in the Future’ (hausoftenor.com)
• John Legends Talk ‘Love In The Future’ & Lyrics In The Present (hot937.cbslocal.com)
• John Legend – Love In The Future: Exclusive album stream (theguardian.com)

Single review: Oddisee – Lonely Planet

 

 

Behold! D.C Native Ahmir Mohamed el Khalifa, better known as Oddisee, has finally dropped the lead single for his upcoming album The Beauty In All. It’s been a while since the rapper/producer has released a purely instrumental album and if the lead single ‘Lonely Planet’ is any indication of what is to come, then all Oddisee fans are in for a treat. The producer is well-known for his laid-back, jazz-infused grooves and ‘Lonely Planet’ is no exception. The track fades in with a slow groove featuring rim shots with soft delay, before breaking into a gentle head-bopping soulful R&B hook complete with funk-tinged fretless bass. Muted jazz guitar riffs and soft string arrangements add further interest to this beautiful track. The Mello Music Group artist had this to say about The Beauty In All:

“The Beauty In All is about the flaws & mistakes that give life its character and worth – how even ignorance can give light to knowledge … If everything we are is out in perfect tutorials, we might never deviate from the teacher. This record is dedicated to imperfection and the sense of pride & accomplishment we get from our struggles. Hopefully, you listen to this record, reflect on the ups & downs of life, and see the beauty in all.” (Mello Music Group Bandcamp, 2013).

Oddisee possesses a unique ability to be able to take a simple idea and gradually introduce subtle, unobtrusive layers until the idea is built into a deceptively complex culmination of rhythms, texture and harmony. I for one cannot wait to hear the rest of this instrumental masterpiece. The Beauty In All is released on October 20 but you can pre-order the album here.

Related articles

• Oddisee – The Beauty In All (dobrobad.wordpress.com)
• “Lonely Planet”-Oddisee (strikerlifestyle.com)
• Oddisee – Lonely Planet (freedomhallblog.wordpress.com)
• Oddisee – Lonely Planet (Audio) (saunt3r.me)
• Oddisee – Lonely Planet (matchmusik.wordpress.com)